variants
also whaps
as in thumps
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the doctor gave my knee a little whop with his mallet to test my reflexes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
variants
or whaps
1
as in bombs
to defeat by a large margin
despite high hopes, the hometown favorites got whopped again maybe if that television station replaced its obnoxious news anchor, it wouldn't get consistently whopped in the ratings
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
he called me a name and I whopped him good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whops
Verb
-
Ukraine bombs Russian energy infrastructure to defend civilians and destroy the Kremlin war machine.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Oct. 2025 -
Remind them their worth is non-negotiable When your child fails — gets cut from the team, bombs a test — remind them their value isn't up for debate.—
Jennifer Breheny Wallace,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The first is Christopher Walken as Gabriel, a mean-spirited angel who sniffs and licks crime scenes and inspects children’s teeth for reasons that sort of make sense within the movie.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The groundbreaking research penetrated the last moments of the young nobleman, who suffered a terrible 26 blows.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Despite major strides in the right direction, the push for a greener future has been dealt several devastating blows from a fraught supply chain, economic headwinds and political setbacks.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The wind whips across the peak, marked as per usual around here with a pile of stones and colorful prayer flags tied to the top like sails on the mast of a ship.—
Joe Baur,
Outside,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In the video, Campos whips her long hair in disbelief.—
Christina Noriega,
Refinery29,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In a video of the attack that was widely circulated on social media, one soldier is seen striking him with the barrel of his rifle, before the settler comes in to land several more punches.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The poem is littered with gut punches that would destroy me as a parent; Lee sees the poem’s beauty and appears to feel appropriate shame.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Quick and direct, this young adult novel in verse about a closeted Black boy who overcomes fear and shame through the power of poetry reads almost like a journal entry.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Inflatable module overcomes launch constraints Orbital platforms are typically constrained by limitations related to the launch vehicle.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Oscar’s grouchy shell hides a strangely tender soul, which is classic Scorpio.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
-
As a whole, Kennedy’s doc, which is seeking distribution, is a raw behind-the-scenes look at a polarizing public figure who often hides behind wrath or self-deprecation.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Whops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whops. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share